Griggs courier., 1887-07-22
CHATTANOOGA. "a

The great battle of Chickamauga
was fought on Saturday and Sunday.
the 10th and Goth of September, 1868.
During the night of the goth the
Army of the Cumberland, under the
command of General George d.
Thomas, withdrew from the battlefield
to the new position in front of Rossville.
All day long on the 2lst the two armies
remained in line of battle. The Union
army were here united, presenting a
bold and defiant front. The army of
General Bragg, although greatly out
numbering the troops of General
Thomas, had been badly crippled and
20 repeatedly repulsed in their charges
on the Goth instant that on this day
they made no aggressive movement.
The main object of the campaign had
been accomplished-the forcing of
Bragg's army to relinquish the strong
holds of Tullahoma and Chattanooga.
The flank movement made by General
Rosecrans with the Army of the
Cumberland forcing Bragg's retreat
from Chattanooga. was one OF the
finest stragetic movements made during
the entire civil war. 1t so alarmed the
Confederate Government that all it's
energies were at once directed to the
overthrow and annihilation Of Rose
Grams and his army. To effect that
purpose General Longstreet, Lees
ablest general. with three veteran di-
visions from the army of Northern Vir-
ginia, General Buckner's Corps from
East Tennessee, with troops from
Charleston and Mobile, were sent to
Bragg, swelling the rebel roll to hum
dred thousand seasoned veteran SOL
diers. This grand army of rebel gray
in the valley Of the Chickamauga for
two consecutive days were hurled in
desperate charges against the lines of
Union blue and were invariably re-
pulsed with such terrible slaughter that
on this 21st day of September the two
armies remained inactive, glaring at
each other like two gladiators of old.
Having now secured the concentration
of his troops and the safety of his trains
General Rosecrans decided to withdraw
his army to Chattanooga. To accom-
plish that object the division of General
John NJ. Brannan, was designated as
the rear guard.
Under cover of the darkness of
night the withdrawal of the Army of
the Cumberland was effected. The
morning light of the 22d disclosed to
the Confederate leaders the fact that
only the rear guard of the Army of the
Cumberland was on the front. Strong
accommodating parties sent out con-
fined that fact. Near noon the Con-
federate advance commenced, the di-
vision of General Brannan slowly re-
treating, warmly contesting the
ground as they retreated, delaying the
advance as much as possible to give
General Rosecrans time to complete
his defensive lines around Chattanooga.
The Union lines were in form of
crescent commencing on the left at the
river, above Chattanooga, and extend
ing around the town to the mouth of
Chattanooga creek below. Bragg's
main army took possession on the crest
of Missionary Ridge, with an advance
line at the foot of the ridge, his pickets
advanced some half mile in the valley
beyond. The Union troops were soon
after withdrawn from the heights of
Lookout Mountain, which was quickly
occupied by the troops of General
Longstreet, his batteries commanding
the river and road running from Chat
tanooga to Bridgeport. 4: The only
road now remaining open for the
furnishing of supplies to General
Rosecrans' army was the mountain
road to the rear across Walling's
Ridge to the Sequatche Valley and
thence to Bridgeport. With the abandon
ment of Lookout Mountain the seiee
of Chattanooga practically began. The
supplying of the Army of the Cumber-
land over this mountainous road was
difficult as well as laborious undertake
ing, and to add still more to the difficult
: ties to be encountered, the Confederate
General Wheeler, with q division of
cavalry. early in October crossed the
Tennessee river above Bridgeport, and,
rapidly moving up the Sequatche VAL
ley to Anderson's cross roads, made
9 successful attack on the supply trains,
destroying and burning some four
hundred wagons loaded with rations
and forage and capturing and killing
q large number of the horses and mules.
The loss of the wagons and the mules